A proposed design for facade improvements at the Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Traffic to the East Village Association marked the year's big neighborhood events. These posts drew the most attention: Happy Village sale would put renovations on tap (July 31). Ald. Brian Hopkins has not yet acted on an Oct. 1 advisory vote to allow a change of owners at the bar, 1059 N. Wolcott. Beatnik restaurant seeks rezoning (April 7). Members backed a full restaurant license with bar and amusement license for the restaurant at 1604 W. Chicago Ave. 'Road diet' would reshape Chicago Avenue (Feb. 6). Chicago Avenue would be trimmed to three motor-vehicle lanes in a West Town Chamber of Commerce proposal. Polish Triangle builds on CTA plans; police launch tech center (March 6). Architect Drew Bayley of the volunteer Polish Triangle Coalition proposed physical improvements for the plaza at Ashland, Division and Milwaukee. The CTA plans elevator and escalator access in its 20-ye...

East Village Association membership meeting Dec. 3, 2018, Happy Village, 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president Even small condo boards shouldn't let one person do all the work, says Michael Pyrchalla of Integrity Law Group. The real estate lawyer shared best practices for boards in a presentation to East Village Association members. Condo rules can be formal or informal, but boards should have a way to amend them--preferably simply requiring a majority vote. A big job is to plan for future repairs, and keeping owners up to date on assessments to provide for them. "You are stuck from the moment you own to pay assessments," Pyrchalla says. A straightforward way to predict spending over 15 to 30 years is with a reserve study, which can cost as little as $500. The Jan. 7 meeting at Happy Village will feature updates on the Chicago Avenue repairs, the city's upgraded 311 work request system, and a vote to ease EVA voting restrictions .

Chicago Public Schools career-office director Rita Raichoudhuri and CEO Janice Jackson present the report at Wells High School, 936 N. Ashland Ave. A Chicago Public Schools study suggests that more than elsewhere in the district, families here reject local schools for top-tier alternatives nearby. The Mid-North Side region has lost 13% of its student population in four years, according to a Nov. 15 presentation by Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson at Wells High School, 936 N. Ashland Ave. High schools are half-full; 58% of high school students travel outside the region, and only 16% attend their designated neighborhood school. Turnarounds are a challenge when more families are leaving the city than are moving in, Jackson admitted. Combined with birth-rate trends, she expects Miami-Dade County to overtake Chicago as the third-largest public school district. With state funding still tenuous, Jackson says long-term capital plans will require a stronger fiscal footing.

Ald. Proco Joe Moreno fields questions from EVA members. East Village Association membership meeting Nov. 5, 2018, Roots Pizza, 1924 W. Chicago Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president New ballfields at Clemente and Wells high schools will raise their profile as competitive to limited enrollment schools, 1st Ward Ald. Proco Joe Moreno suggested in a question-and-answer session with EVA members Nov. 5. "I know you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet," Moreno said, "but it took too long." Moreno advocated legal marijuana, a casino and video gaming as ways to raise city revenues. Here are more notes from his hourlong talk:

More than 50 people attended the Oct. 1 Happy Village vote. A recurring issue surfaced again in the recent Happy Village debate: EVA membership votes require EVA membership. What's wrong with that? In the case of Happy Village zoning, not all neighbors at the Oct. 1 vote were members. That shouldn't be an issue— membership is cheap —but for a twist in EVA bylaws : Voters must have three months' membership in the group. This requirement was added in 2011 after a contentious zoning vote . The concern was that visitors with an interest in the outcome would join just to tip the balance.

Dimitrios Christopoulos, Cherlyn Pilch and Andrew Miller address Happy Village neighbors. East Village Association membership meeting 7pm Monday, Oct. 1, Bath House Cultural Center, 1019 N. Wolcott Ave. Presiding: Michael VanDam, president By a show of hands, neighbors agreed with a prospective new owner's plans to add food service at the Happy Village tavern, with homes replacing the adjoining game room. "There are still some questions," said Ald. Brian Hopkins, who must guide a liquor license transfer through the Liquor Control Commission and City Council. "If you live near Happy Village we absolutely want to hear from you." The vote was opened to all 55 people attending the Oct. 1 East Village Association membership meeting, many of whom lived near the bar at 1059 N. Wolcott Ave. Hopkins said he would reimpose a license freeze and downzone the adjoining building, leaving the bar as the block's only commercial property. Lawyer Dimitrius C...